Review: Paultons Park inc. Peppa Pig World, Hants, UK

Back in March I was a very lucky girl and my family attended the press day at Peppa Pig World prior to it's opening. I reviewed the new theme attraction here and it is has proved to be a very, very popular review indeed.

The only downside of that day is that we did not get to go round the rest of Paultons Park; there just was not enough time in the day.  So last week when we were on holiday down in Dorset I was lucky enough to go back and this time spend most of the day in the original part of Paultons Park.

What did we think?  Yes, yes I am getting there....

We had a great day.  I have to be honest and say that I was dubious if we would. Peppa Pig World was so new and glossy that I wondered how a traditional theme park would hold up against it but Paultons Park is a great day out.  There is more than enough to keep you going for a couple of days, so make a weekend of it if you are thinking of going.

Let me introduce you to the critics who came along last week. First up we have Nanny, here she is riding the Flying Saucer with Miss M (wearing the white dress), can you see that big smile on her face?  A great little family ride.

Then we have Daddy, he likes the trill rides but since the kids have come along he has toned down and is now happy to take a more sedate journey. Here he is with the kids riding the Rio Grande Train.

I on the other hand am not a thrill seeker at all and how Miss M managed to convince me that I should go on the Raging River Ride is any one's guess! She loved it and went on twice in a row and yes I'll concede I did laugh like I have not in a long time but it was a bit scary for me really!

JJ is our food critic, that is what he is normally most concerned with! He is nearly 8 and pretends to be big and brave but is a beautiful woss at heart! The simple things please him and I love that about him, just look at him bounce.

Miss E is my tender heart, she practically refuses to go on any rides, unless they are in Peppa Pig World of course.  This child is Peppa Pig crazy.  Dh did tell her a little white lie that she had to ride a couple in the main park area before we could visit Peppa Pig World later in the afternoon.  Whoops, naughty Daddy, but it got her on the Digger Ride.

Lastly, we have the true daredevil of our family, Miss M is just 4 and the baby twin but she has loads of attitude!  The park was a mega hit with her, I had to prise her away from dh as she wanted to ride the big thrill seeker rides and place her on something much safer.  Aren't kids funny?  My lot were over the moon when they found out this ride-on was free!

So now you know us all and have seen a few of the rides the park has to offer, I bet you want to know what we had to say, don't you?

Nanny -  My visit was mainly about the grandchildren and I enjoy myself when they are having a good time.  There was a lot of laughter on the day including my daughter and I riding on the Sky Swinger, that took me back to my youth!

Daddy - Overall the park was great, whilst we were there the sun shone, it was coldish and then the rain hit.  The park had something to offer us in all weathers.  We all had a great day and generally the queues (on what was a busy day) were excellent.  The only thing that let the park down was the traffic jam as we tried to leave at the end of the day.  Paultons Park need to think about a better system for feeding cars equally out of each of its car parks.

Mummy - I loved the park, it was equally as fun as somewhere like Chessington or Legoland but the price is much more reasonable.  The park was clean, there was loads of grass lands, pic-nic areas and beautiful plants and flowers. Toilets and baby change were everywhere and  generally these seemed well stocked and clean.

I was disappointed with the food offering at Paultons Park I have to say.  On the side of the park we were on we wanted some hot food and all that was available to us was hot dogs and very overcooked fries.  There are other restaurants available but we did not want to move at that time. I noticed in Peppa Pig World that you could buy little kids lunchpacks there for £4.05 and that seemed better for 5 items and some fruit.  If we went again I would probably take a pic-nic.

Once you are in the park practically everything is included in the price, the only things I saw that you had to pay extra for were the go-karts (£3.95 per car) and the balls that go inside and play on the water on (£5.00), we did not try out either as there was plenty to do. I like that there is a good mix of family and thrill rides and these are all labelled really clearly so you know what you are letting yourself in for. There is also plenty of low-key fun such as the trampolines, bouncy castle, sand pit, play parks, splashlands and such.

The Kids - They all loved it, they have already asked when they will go back! Soft play in Peppa Pig World was a big hit with JJ, Miss E loved the rabbit ride and Miss M is dying to ride the Raging River once more. I asked them what the worse bit of the day was and they all agreed it was going home, lol!

In a Nut Shell!
Value for Money   5/5
Ease of entry to the park  4/5
Cleanliness and appearance of park  5/5
Food available on the park  2/5
Variety of rides and attractions available at the park  5/5
Time for queueing  4/5 (our average was 20 mins, longest 45mins)
Peppa Pig World attraction  5/5
Ease of exit from the park  1/5
Overall opinion of the day  4/5 SUPERB!

Would we recommend you visit?  A definite yes, from age 4 to age 60 something we all had a ball!

Disclosure:  This is a review post.  My family was offered free entry to Paultons Park for the purposes of this review.  Many thanks to Paultons Park and their PR agency for this opportunity.